


Elaborate and Aggressive Mating Rituals of the the Medieval Knight

by MayGlenn



Series: Maeglin's Hobbit Birthday Ficlet Gifts [1]
Category: Arthurian Mythology & Related Fandoms, Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Chivalry, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Violence, medieval knights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26655715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayGlenn/pseuds/MayGlenn
Summary: It all started when Sir Alex won a jousting tournament at Tintagel in Sir Michael’s honor.Sir Michael had been over the moon about it, about the obvious attention from his most admired, but because their love was secret, he was unable to repay such favor from the one he loved most.Sir Michael fretted so much, unable to even endure the gaze of his beloved, that he stormed off on a quest one day, literally itching for a fight, and fought and killed the first questing beast he ran across. He left its head on Sir Alex’s doorstep.
Relationships: Maria DeLuca & Alex Manes, Maria DeLuca & Michael Guerin, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Series: Maeglin's Hobbit Birthday Ficlet Gifts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939471
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	Elaborate and Aggressive Mating Rituals of the the Medieval Knight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JoCarthage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoCarthage/gifts).



> From JoCarthage: a Medieval Knight AU fic where Michael and Alex both try to be chivalrous to each other, but keep running into the fact that it's hard to *both* be chivalrous all at the same time? I just love deconstructions of chivalry through a queer lens.
> 
> Thanks for the prompt! (Psst. Your alternative prompt, Michael/Maria/Alex as the fairies from _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ is for sure on my to-write list, too!!)

It all started when Sir Alex won a jousting tournament at Tintagel in Sir Michael’s honor. 

Sir Michael had been over the moon about it, about the obvious attention from his most admired, but because their love was secret, he was unable to repay such favor from the one he loved most. 

Sir Michael fretted so much, unable to even endure the gaze of his beloved, that he stormed off on a quest one day, literally itching for a fight, and fought and killed the first questing beast he ran across. He left its head on Sir Alex’s doorstep. 

Thus began a sort of arms race that promised to be eternal as each knight strove to prove his love was at least equal to his secret lover’s—but, as is the way of chivalrous knights, they had also to prove their love  _ surpassed  _ the other’s. So after Sir Michael defeated a questing beast, Sir Alex naturally had to tackle a dragon, prompting Michael to vanquish an even  _ larger  _ dragon, and so on. 

“This can’t go on,” Lady Maria, their go-between, their Pandarus, the only one who knew of their secret relationship, told Sir Alex. “Could you try a less destructive method of proving your love? Immortalize him in song, perhaps?” 

“I have not sufficient skill,” Sir Alex lamented, and set off to find the Holy Grail. 

“He’s only going to get himself killed!” Sir Michael swore, when he found out where Sir Alex had gone. He gathered up his armor and strapped on several swords. “The Grail quest is impossible! There’s a reason no one has ever found it!” 

“Michael, what are you doing?” Maria demanded, trying to block his way. 

“I’m going after him,” Michael said, pushing her gently aside (he had the capacity to be gentle, she didn’t know why he just chose not to be). “I have to find the Holy Grail before he does. It’s the only way to keep him safe.” 

“You...you do know how  _ stupid  _ that sounds, right?” 

This was how Sir Michael found himself battling the greatest foe he had ever faced, a rogue knight with no colors, on his own way into the Grail Temple. He had gotten across a sword bridge, a deadly river full of ghosts, and fought six or seven lions on the way in here. He was not going to fail at this point! 

They fought until the floor was soaked in blood, hacking off pauldrons, gauntlets, vambraces, cuisses, and wounding each other sorely. Michael’s entire left side was essentially useless, but the other knight had something that was promising to turn into a sucking chest wound if he could just get his breastplate to come free, so he had to keep going. 

But the knight knocked Sir Michael’s weapon low, and his sword clanked against greaves he thought he had already cut off the knight—

Sir Michael looked down, recognizing too slowly that the knight’s leg was metal. 

“Christ forgive me,” Sir Michael said, giving the other knight pause—only after his sword had gone through Sir Michael’s shoulder. 

“It can’t be—Michael?” 

Sir Alex lunged forward, pushing up the visor on Michael’s helmet. Of course, in all of this, their helmets had remained intact. “Saints preserve us. Michael, what are you doing here?!” 

Michael didn’t answer, only kissed him, still holding onto the sword inside him, and they embraced, weeping at their misfortune. “I thought to keep you from this perilous quest if I achieved the Grail first.” 

“That’s stupid.” 

“About as stupid as going after it in the first place. Alex, I love you. Have I not proven it enough?” 

“It is I who have not proven my love enough to you,” Alex said. 

“You have, you have,” Michael assured him, and they swooned in each other’s arms. 

The Grail Knights and Maidens found them like this, barely alive and in the middle of a bloody mess. Because they were more or less used to this, the Grail attendants tended the unconscious knights until they regained their strength. 

“I do not suggest you proceed any further in your quest. The Grail demands you ask the right question of it, and you cannot even ask  _ each other _ the right question,” a Grail Maiden said, sounding very much like she had spoken to Lady Maria. 

Michael and Alex were left staring at each other, ashamed. 

“I just wanted you to know how much I—was honored by your courtesy,” Michael said, taking Alex’s hand. 

“And I was impressed by your chivalry,” Alex agreed, clasping Michael at the neck, the only part of him that was uninjured. They pressed their heads together. 

“Why do we keep doing this?” 

“I’m not sure I know...any other way to show love,” Alex admitted. 

Michael moved, stiffly, weakly, until they were lying in the same bed, sharing warmth. “Maybe we should learn something new together.”


End file.
